The United States and Russia will work to coordinate air presence in the Sky of Syria without necessary having an understandings or agreement on attacks, targets or objectives. Both superpower countries have declared a common goal, “fighting terrorism”. Nonetheless, the priorities, the targeting forces, the intensity of the attacks and the duration won’t be agreed. But above all, the allies of each camp are different.

For this purpose, according to a high ranking source in Damascus, “a military operation room has been established weeks ago in the Syria capital where a Russian General lead the military operation, supported by Syrian Army, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah officers. The Russian General has the power to command air strikes, artillery bombardment from land and sea and enjoys full power from Moscow over the Russian forces based in the Mediterranean”.

Russia believes that fighting terrorism has no borders. It won’t be possible to strategically defeat the “Islamic State” (ISIS) group and al-Qaeda in Syria without Iraq. Therefore, Baghdad is hosting a military intelligence operational room led by Iraqi and Iranian Generals, with the presence and coordination of a Russian General and his staff, as well as Syrian and Hezbollah officers. The aim of such a military operational room is to gather a bank of objectives and collect intelligence information on the organogram and ISIS controlled area.

The source confirmed that the U.S was informed about the “Baghdad room” without necessary having any level of coordination. American diplomats and officers are within hundred meters from their once fiercest enemies (Iranian IRGC, Hezbollah) and now competing with Russia. It would be unlikely that the U.S would accept to see any success to these forces.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has officially requested from Russia to help him using military and diplomatic means to defeat terrorism and restore areas controlled by extremist forces. Russia has responded. The Russian Federation Council give power to the Russian Army to intervene overseas to protect the interests and national security of Russia and assistance by all available means the allies of Moscow. Russia is also seeking a United Nations’ consensus to fight terrorism in Syria and Iraq.

Russia is coordinating all military action and information gathering in Syria and Iraq with Iran as well as Hezbollah. Russia is in need of a ground force to support its air strikes. This is where Iran has injected thousands of fighters to support the Syrian Army. Hezbollah also is sending more forces around Idlib and Aleppo. Iraqi militia has also over 4000 fighters around Sahel al-Ghab, in the north of the country.

For years, Russia maintained a kind of military balance as long as the situation on the Syrian soil did not run into any critical stage and the country didn’t face partition. The Syrian Army, along with the ally’s forces, is able to defend the main cities such as Damascus, Deraa, Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia to no end. None the less, the capture of Idlib, in the North West of Syria, and an agressive attacking plan to recover lost areas need an air support. The Syrian Air Force, busy on many fronts and lacking accuracy in air bombing, was not able to meet the ambitious objective after almost five years of war. This is where Russia came heavily into the equation.

Moreover, according to the source, Damascus “will adopt the principle of accountability for military commanders who fail to do their duty or withdraw from areas of confrontation, as happened in several areas before”.

“It is no longer possible to close an eye on those Syrian officers unwilling to fight. These can go home and leave the army. All friends of Damascus are making sacrifices. We have difficult challenges ahead on all of Syria geography. Defeating terrorism won’t be done in one day or even one year, even with the Russian’s direct intervention. We hope that the Americans and their allies won’t take it personal (with Russia) and start supplying terrorists with weapons like it happen in Afghanistan ”, said the source.

Published by Elijah J Magnier

Veteran War Zone Correspondent and Senior Political Risk Analyst with over 35 years' experience covering the Middle East and acquiring in-depth experience, robust contacts and political knowledge in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan and Syria. Specialised in terrorism and counter-terrorism, intelligence, political assessments, strategic planning and thorough insight in political networks in the region.
Covered on the ground the Israeli invasion to Lebanon (1st war 1982), the Iraq-Iran war, the Lebanese civil war, the Gulf war (1991), the war in the former Yugoslavia (1992-1996), the US invasion to Iraq (2003 to date), the second war in Lebanon (2006), the war in Libya and Syria (2011 to date). Lived for many years in Lebanon, Bosnia, Iraq, Iran, Libya and Syria.
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